An Exercise in Memory
by kurai-tsubasa
Summary: A collection of entries for the old sasunaru 100 community on lj. Most are K , but one is high T in rating.
1. Passive

Author Note: All of these were written at least two years ago, around the very early 300s chapter-wise, so please excuse cannonical inaccuracies. My other stories _Nap Time_ and _Kesenai Tsumi_ are also responses to challenges from the same com (which is now pretty much dead, sadly), but I didn't feel the need to repost them.

Title: Passive

Challenge: Rain  
Author: Kuroi  
Rating: G  
Word Count: Exactly 100 (it might read a little strangely because of it though)  
Other: Won second place in the drabble category

The rain fell in heavy sheets, obscuring everything from the glazed-over eyes that stared out over the streets in a blind hope of catching a glimpse of what they needed to. Hands futilely wiped away the condensation on the glass caused by his breaths. He knew it was of no use to stand here; to wait, to watch, instead of chasing and acting. Still, every time it rained, he would stop, turn, and watch the road that led in and out of Konoha. It had been raining the day Sasuke left him; it would be raining the day he returned.


	2. Sundried Tomatoes

Title: Sun-dried Tomatoes  
Challenge: Rain  
Author: Kuroi  
Rating: G  
Word Count: 746 (fic)

Sasuke clutched the umbrella as he ran, childishly cursing the rain, the cold, the dark, and just about everything else that came with it. His feet splashed through puddles, soaking his pants through, and making him wish he had thought to wear better shoes today. As he ran past closed doors and lighted windows, he shifted the package in his arms. "Why couldn't Aniki gone and gotten the vegetables? He probably would've been there and back without even getting wet!"

Finally, he could see the gates of the Uchiha compound, and started to run faster in an attempt to be warm and dry that much sooner. Instead, it caused him to lose traction on the slippery ground, and he pitched forward, umbrella and vegetables spilling from his arms and clattering onto the street. Crouched down on the ground, he frantically tried to save his tomatoes as they rolled into puddles. He would pick up the less important, non-rolling vegetables after he'd gotten all of his tomatoes back. As his hand reached to pick up the last one, another hand lifted the tomato up and wiped off the mud. Sasuke put the rest of his tomatoes back in the soggy bag, and stuck out his hand.

"That's my tomato."

The owner of the other hand, another boy, about his age, with blue eyes and blond hair flattened by the rain, pouted slightly. "Geez, I know that! Why'd ya think I picked it up, huh? 'Cause I like tomatoes? Blech, I hate vegetables! I was just trying to help." He stuck out the hand with the tomato, and stared defiantly through wet bangs at Sasuke, who just stared suspiciously before hesitantly grabbing back the tomato and shoving it in the bag with the rest. He nodded slightly in thanks, and turned away to pick up the remaining vegetables.

"You don't talk much, do you? I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. How 'bout you?" Naruto squatted down and picked up a leek, tossing it from hand to hand.

Sasuke glared slightly. "Uchiha Sasuke." He nodded towards the emblems painted across the gates of the compound ahead of them. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't break the leeks- they're for our dinner." He reached out and snatched the leek back as it passed from one of Naruto's hands to the other. "What are you doing out here, anyways? Everyone else is inside, and you don't even have an umbrella…….idiot."

Naruto pouted again at the loss of the leek, but started shoveling the final vegetables into the bag, and stood up, trying to brush off the mud from his knees, but only succeeding in smearing it more with his wet hands. Finally, he looked back up at Sasuke. "I got locked out of my apartment, and I was waiting for someone else to come so I could get in. Then you ran past, and I saw you fall and spill everything. So, I 

came over to help!"

"What about your parents? Weren't they home?"

Naruto blinked sharply and looked away. "I don't have any parents, and Iruka's apartment was dark. So I just sat and waited."

Sasuke rolled his eyes toward the dark clouds, as if asking them how this boy could be so stupid, and sighed, "So you forgot your keys, and don't even have an umbrella?"

"…….Pretty much, yeah."

"…Here." Sasuke shoved the umbrella into Naruto's hands, which clutched at it disbelievingly.

"Th-thank you."

"Hn. Don't catch a cold." With that, Sasuke hefted the soggy bag of vegetables in his arms and walked towards the gates, head bowed to fend off the rain.

"Hey, look! The rain's stopping!" The cry from behind made him look up, where, off in the distance, he could indeed see patches of lighter clouds and even sun. "Maybe when you get home, you can put the vegetables out, and let them dry off in the sun! Then you'll have sun-dried tomatoes! I've always heard those were good, but I don't like vegetables anyways!" With a wave, he turned and ran off and disappeared around a corner.

Sasuke stood and stared after him with a slightly puzzled expression. Did the idiot really think sun-dried tomatoes just meant letting the sun dry off the rain water? Shaking his head, he passed through the gates and headed home, still thinking. Lost in his thoughts, it never even crossed his mind to ask for the umbrella back, even though the rain no longer fell.


	3. Senses

Title: Senses  
Challenge: Memories  
Author: Kuroi  
Rating: PG-15 (I guess if you were picky, it could be R)  
Word Count: 330 (drabble)  
Other: won second place in the drabble category

All Naruto could see was darkness. Then, someone moving in that darkness. Hands, and a blindfold, then darkness again.

Next, Naruto could hear. Hear the soft footsteps of the person coming closer, hear the soft rustle of clothes falling to the ground.

His nose was barraged with scent. The scent of a musky, damp smell that was more than slightly familiar. His brain ached to make the connection of where he knew it from. The scent flooded his nostrils as the person leaned closer.

Suddenly, he could taste the addicting, slightly minty lips of the intruder as they kissed him, as they slid their tongue along his lips and into his mouth. He thought it tasted like heaven and hell.

And then he could feel. Feel the smoothness of the invader's hands as they traveled down his body, feel his body heat under them. His hands ached to imitate them, but were unable to move. His body arched into the feeling.

The blindfold was removed, and his senses were barraged all at once. His eyes caught flashes of pale skin and dark hair before they blurred in pleasure. He could smell the distinct scent of sweat and sex. Could hear his moans and whimpers, and his name from the lips of the one slightly above him, and could taste the blood in the kiss as his partner bit their lip to stifle their cry. He felt ecstasy as he slammed his hips against theirs, driving deeper until he shattered.

And then darkness again. Naruto opened his eyes and blinked, knowing there was something he should remember, but couldn't. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and walked to the window, passing the picture of Team 7 and Sasuke's hitai-ate from their last battle. He stared out into the still night, silently renewing his promise to bring Sasuke back at all costs.

_Before he shattered, Naruto heard a detached voice that sounded close to his own cry one word, "Sasuke."_


	4. Smile

Title:Smile  
Challenge: Festival  
Rating: G  
Author: Kuroi  
Words: 270 (drabble)  
Other: Won second place for drabble category  
A/N: This was an exercise to see if I could write something entirely through dialogue; I think it worked They're fairly young in this drabble, as well.

"Just one more, please! Mine burned out too quickly; you still have so many left! Please, just one more!"

"Baka, if you wouldn't wave yours around so wildly, or drop them so easily, you'd have just as many left. It's your own fault for going through them so quickly."

"But if you give me some of yours, we'll both be done at the same time! See, it all works out! Please?"

"Don't try that look; it won't work. I told you, it's your own damn fault for running out so quickly. If you want more, go buy your own."

"Mou, you're so mean! Fine, I'll just go and buy bigger and better fireworks. Not just sparklers, but huge ones that'll make you go blind!"

"Dobe, if you do that, you'll probably end up catching yourself on fire."

"I would not! I'd be careful! You'll see!"

"Hn."

"Lookit how many fireworks I got! Betcha this one's huge!"

"Be careful lighting it; I don't want to be cleaning up after you if you burn something down."

"I know, I know! Just watch; betcha even you smile at these!"

"Dobe, just light it already."

"Woah, look at it! It's huge! Told ya it would be!"

"Hn."

"Oh wow, that one's even better!"

"You can stop jumping up and down now, and you can stop clinging onto me too."

"Heh, I like this one the best. Look, it's blue and orange, just like you and me!"

"Whatever."

"See, I told you I'd get you to smile at these! Admit it, I won!"

"In your dreams, dobe."

"Sasu-mmhm……."

"_Alright, maybe he does win…..this one time_"


	5. Paperwork and Whatnots

Title: Paperwork and whatnots  
Challenge: Rokudaime/Inaguaration  
Author: Kuroi  
Rating: Pg-13ish  
Word Count: 471

"Mou…….it's so high!" Naruto whined, glancing at the stack of papers piled on his desk. The masked ANBU member standing guard at the door removed his mask with a sigh.

"What did you expect? That it would be easy? You've seen Tsunade-sama and her paperwork. You can't have expected to get off with less than her." Sasuke gave a disapproving glance to the blond who was currently slumped over the desk in defeat.

"Yeah, I guess, but you think they could've waited a while. I mean, the inauguration was just hours ago!"

"……you do know that half of those papers are complaints and requests for damage control from the inauguration, right, usuratonkachi?"

The inauguration had gone about as well as any large ceremony involving Naruto could have gone- chaotically. Naruto himself was late, and came running in at the last moment only to collide with one of the poles holding up the tent under which Tsunade, as the resigning Hokage, Shizune as her assistant, Sasuke, as head of ANBU, and Gaara, as Kazekage, were sitting, causing the tent to collapse into the crowd. This, of course, caused mass panic, as people rushed around trying to prevent anyone from getting hurt, which only led to more people getting hurt. All in all, what was expected.

A low moan was the only reply from the lump of robes on top of the Hokage's desk. Sasuke shook his head, and with a sigh, walked over to Naruto. He lifted the blond head and met questioning blue eyes. He took the Rokudaime's lips up in a kiss and swept his tongue around Naruto's mouth, eliciting a small moan from his blond lover. Naruto began to answer the kiss, sitting up in his chair to allow Sasuke better access to his mouth, and to wrap his arms around Sasuke to pull him closer. Sasuke straddled Naruto in the chair, and just as hands began to wander, pulled away.

Naruto frowned. "What was that for? If you're gonna start something, at least follow through!"

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "If I did you'd never get anything done. Come home only once you've finished your paperwork, and I promise, I'll finish what I started."

"How will you know I didn't just leave?"

"I'll know. I always know what you're doing. You're the Rokudaime, I'm your protector. I'll know."

Naruto scowled. "That's just a little creepy, Sasuke."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Just finish your paperwork, usuratonkachi." With those words, he vanished from the room in a puff of smoke.

Naruto glared and stuck his tongue out at the rapidly dispersing smoke cloud, and turned to his paperwork. He picked up one piece and held it between two fingers. He had a lot of work to do if he hoped to get home at all tonight…..


End file.
